The process of developing Katahdin sheep was started in the late 1950s by someone named Michael Piel from Maine. Piel owned a big farm called the Piel farm, which had thousands of sheep at the time. All the breeding experiments that led to the final production of the new breed of sheep were conducted on the Piel Farm with the assistance of a few other farms. Since the development, this breed has spread throughout the country. Today, when in need of Katahdin sheep for sale Kentucky is one of the best places to visit.
Piel was motivated by one single factor to develop katahdins. Piel was of the opinion that sheep selection did not need to depend on wool only as the main determining factor. He proposed the use of other criteria in the selection of animals meant for meat, breeding, and other uses. The intention was to combine good qualities in Virgin Island sheep with those in wool breeds.
Virgin Island sheep had the prolificacy, hair coat, and hardiness Piel was looking for. So, he combined these qualities with those found in wool breeds, which included fast rate of growth and conformation of meat. Piel kicked off the development by crossing British breeds, Suffolk in particular, with hair breeds.
For the next twenty years, Piel engaged in the development of the new breed by choosing only animals that possessed the required traits. At the end of the experiment, Piel had come up with a flock of ewes that he named Katahdins. The origin of the name is Mt. Karahdin in Maine. In 1970s, the integration of Wiltshire Horn was done as a way of enhancing size and quality of the carcass.
From the original flock, breeders have managed to expand the number of Katahdins in the entire North American continent and worldwide. This is done with careful selection for reproductive efficiency, carcass quality, and hair coat. The KHSI was formed in 1986 for the purpose of registering individual Katahdins, record performance, assist with marketing and promotion, and to encourage research and development on the breed.
Animals are registered when they attain the age of one year and have been inspected thorough to ensure that they conform to breed standards. The breeder needs to be a KNSI member in order to put in a request for inspection or to have the animal registered. There is often no need for inspection before registration of lambs with 100 percent purebred parents. Such parents should not have birthdays beyond 1/1/1998.
Katahdins have displayed certain qualities that make them superior over other breeds. For instance, according to research findings on the breed, these animals have displayed a greater level of resistance to parasites compared to other breeds. They also proved to be more heat tolerant than wool breeds.
Other qualities compared with other breeds are fertility factors, growth performance, prolificacy, meat flavor, out-of-season breeding, and carcass quality. The superior meat flavor of this breed makes it favorable to many people worldwide.
Piel was motivated by one single factor to develop katahdins. Piel was of the opinion that sheep selection did not need to depend on wool only as the main determining factor. He proposed the use of other criteria in the selection of animals meant for meat, breeding, and other uses. The intention was to combine good qualities in Virgin Island sheep with those in wool breeds.
Virgin Island sheep had the prolificacy, hair coat, and hardiness Piel was looking for. So, he combined these qualities with those found in wool breeds, which included fast rate of growth and conformation of meat. Piel kicked off the development by crossing British breeds, Suffolk in particular, with hair breeds.
For the next twenty years, Piel engaged in the development of the new breed by choosing only animals that possessed the required traits. At the end of the experiment, Piel had come up with a flock of ewes that he named Katahdins. The origin of the name is Mt. Karahdin in Maine. In 1970s, the integration of Wiltshire Horn was done as a way of enhancing size and quality of the carcass.
From the original flock, breeders have managed to expand the number of Katahdins in the entire North American continent and worldwide. This is done with careful selection for reproductive efficiency, carcass quality, and hair coat. The KHSI was formed in 1986 for the purpose of registering individual Katahdins, record performance, assist with marketing and promotion, and to encourage research and development on the breed.
Animals are registered when they attain the age of one year and have been inspected thorough to ensure that they conform to breed standards. The breeder needs to be a KNSI member in order to put in a request for inspection or to have the animal registered. There is often no need for inspection before registration of lambs with 100 percent purebred parents. Such parents should not have birthdays beyond 1/1/1998.
Katahdins have displayed certain qualities that make them superior over other breeds. For instance, according to research findings on the breed, these animals have displayed a greater level of resistance to parasites compared to other breeds. They also proved to be more heat tolerant than wool breeds.
Other qualities compared with other breeds are fertility factors, growth performance, prolificacy, meat flavor, out-of-season breeding, and carcass quality. The superior meat flavor of this breed makes it favorable to many people worldwide.
About the Author:
Get a summary of the things to keep in mind when selecting a sheep breeder and more information about Katahdin sheep for sale Kentucky area at http://www.stablerockkatahdins.com now.
